Essay on Anthem By Ayn Rand

What is the meaning of the word “ego”? The literal meaning of ego is “the concern about one’s own interests”. It implies that one is more important than the collective, and that one is the proper beneficiary of one’s actions. Ayn Rand’s Anthem, tells the story of one man’s rebellion against a collective, totalitarian society. The story is set in the future dark age where the evils of collectivism and irrationality have destroyed the concept of achievement and individuality. The story begins in the distant future where a young man, Equality 7-2521, is writing diary, in a tunnel. He describes his society, where the World Council governs every aspect of life from birth to death. Equality 7-2521 is assigned the job of a street sweeper. His days are filled with routine and drudgery. However, he is a man capable of intellectual achievement and his individuality still lives. He discovers a tunnel from the Unmentionable times, where he rediscovers electricity. He presents his invention to the Council of Scholars. However, they are frightened of it and threaten to destroy it. Equality 7-2521 runs away to the Unchartered Forest, where he is joined by a young girl whom he had earlier fallen in love with. They discover a house from the Unmentionable Times where they discover the ideas that made possible the freedom and prosperity of the past. At first, the protagonist of the novel, Equality 7-2521, regrets his differences and tries to be like all his brothers. He tries halfheartedly to eliminate all his personal preferences. When he discovers the tunnel, he likes to alone and experiment. His preference for International 4-8818 and Golden One makes it harder for him to deny his individuality. The discovery of the light bulb pushes him into complete rebellion against his society. At the end, Equality 7-2521 identifies himself as Prometheus, and understands the meaning of man’s ego. Equality realizes the significance of his own existence only when he understands that the...

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...Near the end of the novel Anthem by AynRand the main character, Equality, reaches one of the most important realizations of the entire book about the concept of individualism. In the quote form the text “To be free, a man must be free of his brothers” Equality comes to the conclusion that to be independent he must first become his own person and let go what keeps him from doing what he wishes to. There are numerous cases of being free in Anthem, including Equality’s struggle in school, his running away from society, and Equality learning the usage of the word ‘I’.
The scene in Anthem where Equality is writing about his school lessons, he could never forget no matter how hard he tried illustrates the idea of how different he is from the others. The quote “We tried to forget out lessons, but we always remembered.” (Rand 21) is when Equality was talking about his struggle with his education; Equality always wanted to know more, but it was forbidden to ask questions. He was forced to conform to the laws that he only needed to know what he was taught. In addition to Equality being smarter, he is guilty of the great Transgression of Preference. Equality wanted to be a part of the Home of Scholars. Instead he was made a street sweeper because of his intelligence. It was like this with all of the citizens. In example, International was an exceptional artist, but only the artists are allowed to...

...Anthem
by AynRand
In the novel Anthem by AynRand there are many themes. These
themes include love, desire, equality, freedom, and individuality. Most of
these themes are all shown by the majority of the characters in the book,
especially Equality 7-2521. One can see that the themes of love and
individuality are very important in the novel. The theme of love is shown
between Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000. The theme of individuality
is shown by Equality 7-2521.
Anthem is a novel about a man, Equality 7-2521, who went against
the laws to make his own individual choices, to gain knowledge, and to
love the woman of his choice. Equality 7-2521 lived in a world in the
future after a nuclear holocaust. This was a world of collectivism where a
mans love for a women was forbidden. Even though Equality 7-2521 lived
in this loveless world, he still loved the girl of his choice, Liberty 5-3000.
One of the reasons why Equality 7-2521's love was forbidden was because
in his world it was believed that "What was not thought by all men cannot
be true," and "What is not done collectively cannot be good"(Anthem,
Page 81). These are just some of the reasons why Liberty 5-3000 and
Equality 7-2521's love was forbidden.
Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 met because Liberty 5-3000
lived in the Home of the Peasants and works in the fields near...

...Anthem by AynRand is a political satire that makes one appreciate how fortunate the citizens of a country with so many freedoms, like America, are. Freedoms to choose one’s own destiny and explore the untouched frontiers of the scientific world are gifts that should never be, but often are, taken for granted. Rand’s bold novel that pokes fun at the stringent laws of communism reveals that her own political stance would be greatly supported by the first and second amendments and the policies regarding having children in America.
The mockery that AynRand makes of the dystopia in her novel gives helpful clues as to what her own political views are. It appears that Rand believes in complete individual freedoms and a largely hands free government. Rand is against collectivism and believes that the government should accommodate the unique needs and desires of every citizen. Each person should feel a strong sense of identity that shares no connection with the government. The advancement of technology and new knowledge are positive for the best interests of society. It seems Rand would agree with the idea that people should act on any rational or irrational desires to achieve their highest potential of personal happiness. It is human nature to desire individuality and to feel accomplished because of “The word which can never die on this earth, for it is the...

...In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, the protagonist Equality 7-2521 begins the novella as a primitive unique adolescent, who has realized that he might be different from those around him. He feels remorse in his differences and attempts to make himself become like the others in his society. But after the discovery of the tunnel, however, he realizes that loneliness pleases him, and it becomes harder for him to deny his own individuality. Rand hoped to uncover the link between the historical figures, Prometheus and Gaea to the lives of Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000.
In Chapter 12, Rand refers to Greek mythology by renaming her two protagonists Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000. Equality is given the name Prometheus, an insinuation to the Titan who stole fire from Zeus and passed it down to mankind. Liberty is renamed Gaea, a connection to the goddess of the earth and mother of the Titans. “..I have read of a man who lived many thousands of years ago, and of all the names in these books, his is the one I wish to bear. He took the light of the gods and he brought it to men, and he taught men to be gods. And he suffered for his deed as all bearers of light must suffer. His name was Prometheus.”… “And I have read of a goddess who was the mother of the earth and of all the gods. Her name was Gaea. Let this be your name, my Golden One, for you are to be the mother of a new kind of gods.”(Rand 98-9)....

...Ayn Rand’s Anthem discusses many controversial ideas throughout the book. Often times the ideas shown are extreme examples and often polar opposites. Most often the ideas used by Rand can be perceived as one is completely bad and the other good. One of the best examples of this is the extremes of caring only for the whole and the opposite of caring only for the self. Rand has extreme ideas of both of these and expresses them often in Anthem. These two ideas are the backbone for the whole story and deliver the main message Rand wanted to express.
AynRand constructed “a philosophy for living on earth” (AynRand, 111) to abide by based on her own opinions she had formulated since living in a communist society and coming to the West. She called this philosophy objectivism and it most evidently stays away from focusing on the whole. Objectivism is centered on the individual and reason, “the faculty that identifies and integrates the material provided by man’s senses” (AynRand, 112). Throughout the book, Anthem, objectivism is expressed in all aspects and is used to tell what is benevolent and what is bad.
One way Ayn expresses her idea of objectivism is by making the antagonist in the book very oriented towards the whole. Rand describes the City in the beginning of...

...Imagine if there was no electricity, no computers, no cars, no smart phones. What if there was no “I” or “you,” or anything that allowed people to stand out from one another? In the novel Anthem, AynRand creates a dystopia that is true of all those things, but still proves that liberation and hope can be found among the suffering and despair. She is able to do this through the actions and thoughts of the main character, Equality 7-2521, when he finally realizes society is not what it seems to be and manages to escape; when he thinks that he is lost forever but is able to learn about the things that he has been missing out on, and when he leaves the audience with a glimmer of hope because he makes them aware of his plans to return and save society before it really is too late.
Equality 7-2521 is not like the rest of his “brothers”—he is smarter, taller, and better looking⎯which the other boys, teachers, even authorities did not like. When Equality 7-2521 finds an abandoned tunnel with his friend International 4-8818, Equality ignores the fact that exploring and keeping the tunnel a secret is forbidden, and it becomes a place where he sneaks off to often. During the time that he is in the tunnel, he discovers the power of electricity and how to make a light bulb work, and writes in his journal that he is in fact smarter than the Council of Scholars, something which is “impossible” in this society. When the World Council of Scholars...

...University of the Philippines Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga
Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga
Reflection Paper
Anthem by: AynRand
Jemima Micah T. Sadsad
2012-20252
BS Business Management
Submitted to: Sir Aoux Santos
It’s a sin to not write this. For finishing this will allow me to acquire one fourth of my grade on the most-anticipated subject—A subject that is hard, yet easy; A subject able to be both loved and despised; A subject whose aim is to know thy self, yet, when thoroughly studied, you would end up losing what you think is yours. This subject I am babbling about is not just a subject; It is the subject: Philosophy.
~
Well, at first look, this is how I comprehended the novella “Anthem”. Simple message relayed through tough words, when really that’s not the point of it. Anthem is about a boy who was born with the curse of knowing things more superior than most of his society—a society that does not accept progress unless approved by everyone. This boy then meets a girl with qualities like her, and later falls in love with her. Even though their society forbids a love like theirs, they didn’t mind and kept it a secret. He tried to help their society through his discoveries, though ended up escaping it, and trying to create a new one of his own.
It has a typical story line with a dystopian theme. Aside from that there’s nothing really more from it. Or is...

...In the book Anthem, Equality 7-2521 (Equality) lived in a society where everyone was equal and treated with disrespect. The society had no tolerance for being different and having their own opinion and ideas. People couldn’t even pursue the career they dreamed of having. They were punished for disobeying any of these “rules”. Despite Equality’s strict society, his motivations in conducting his experiments are finding individuality, starting a new revolution, finding freedom, and trying to become a scholar.
Equality’s inspiration, will, and determination lead him to spark a new revolution. After Equality found the black hole, he kept habitually going back to it, to discover new things and gain intelligence. He was finding more about himself and discovering that everyone was not the same and not everyone has the same talents in life. Even though it was against the government’s expectations about everyone being equal, Equality was happy to break the law, so he could learn more. Equality says, “And yet there is no shame in us and no regret. We say to ourselves that we are a wretch and a traitor. But we feel no burden upon our spirit and no burden upon our spirit and no fear in our heart.” (Rand 37) Equality was curious. He wanted to find out about the unknown. By showing his invention, he would spark a new revolution of light. He would inspire people to create and learn. True joy comes from what a man can do with inspiration, desire, will, to...